Connections with Mike Thom and Colleen Houde

Bosco H. C. Poon, a.k.a. B.O.Z (Born Of Zion), was an aspiring recording artist who ended up in a Canadian federal prison. In his most hopeless moment, Jesus appeared before him, and his life was completely changed. Today on Connections he shares his testimony and tells us what he is up to nowadays. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ray Neufeld is a former NHL player who spent 14 years in the league.  He started off his career with the Hartford Whalers, but in 1985 he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets.  Although Winnipeg was his hometown, this trade had a huge impact on his life, both good and bad. Today on Connections, Ray tells us about that trade and how it helped him to become the man he is today. See omnystudio.com/listene...

Red Street Records artist, Cade Thompson, is an energetic and soulful Contemporary Christian music artist with a sound that appeals to believers and mainstream pop audiences alike.   Cade Thompson has had an affinity with music since his toddler days when even a preschool teacher noticed him frequently harmonizing early on, and eventually progressed through piano, guitar and drum lessons.   Shortl...

Dan and Danielle Macaulay have been married for 20 years. Dan is a worship leader and a singer/songwriter. Danielle is an author, blogger and speaker. They are also the proud parents of two boys, Keaton and Braden. Today on Connections, Dan and Danielle share their love story and how they managed to overcome the many ups and downs of marriage.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valentine's day is just around the corner, a time when couples use gifts and acts of kindness to show their love for one another. Why do we celebrate Valentine's day? Who is St. Valentine? Today on Connections, Dr. Patricia Janzen Loewen, assistant professor of history at  Providence University College helps us to understand the origins of Valentine's Day and why we celebrate it.   See omnystudio....

Miriam Laundry is a best-selling author and educational speaker whose message empowers children, teens, and adults to believe in themselves. I CAN Believe in Myself was originally self-published by Miriam Laundry in 2013. The book made world record history in May 2014 when it inspired an online book discussion that set a Guinness World Record®. She has now teamed up with Jack Canfield to re-releas...

Loraine Mackenzie Shepherd is a minister with Westworth United Church in Winnipeg. About 2 years ago she took a sabbatical and went on a cross-country trip to visit thriving United churches to find out what made them successful. She has now taken what she has discovered and put it into a new book called Thriving Churches: Urban and Rural Successes. Today on Connections she'll share what she learne...

Rudy Kalis is a former sportscaster who immigrated to the U.S. and lived through decades of cultural, language and educational challenges. In trying to make a name for himself, he alienated others, until one day he was confronted with the truth of who he was, and a pathway to live a different life. Today on Connections Rudy will speak on how he overcame these challenges and found true joy and real...

If you’re surrounded but alone, ‘liked’ but unloved, continually sending the world your message but feeling always unheard, then you need the stories in this book. That's according to today's guest Doug Bender.  Bender is I Am Second’s chief content writer. They've recently released a new book,  I Found Love: True Stories of Discovering Love, Belonging and Friendship.   It features powerful storie...

Life is filled with changes that keep many in a constant state of anxiety. Dr. Michelle Bengston, a board-certified neuropsychologist with more than 25 years of experience in the mental health field, speaks intimately about her personal experience with fear and practically on how to replace it with the truth of God's Word.  Today on Connections Dr. Bengston will share her personal story and how we...

Dr. John K. Abraham is a Veterinarian turned Apologist and Evangelist. He quit his career as a veterinarian to pursue theological studies so that he could spread the word of God to the world. Today on Connections he'll share his story and talk about a couple of books that he has recently released. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When he was born, Chris weighed 1 lb, 12 oz, due to drug exposure. He was given a limited chance of survival. Four years later, he was handed a microphone and started a journey that has inspired audiences throughout the world. By 10, he sang the national anthem at Fenway Park and became a Youtube sensation by 11. With each keynote, song, & performance Chris teaches audiences they are unlimited...a...

Megan Cohen who is only in her late 20's spent many years off and on the streets dealing with an opioid drug addiction. Today she is in recovery and together with her mother Jennifer Shablin has started up a new initiative called The GRACE Project. The GRACE Project aims to show grace and offer hope to those in need. Megan Cohen alongside her mother currently go out to Philadelphia every Thursday...

When bestselling author Ray Comfort picked up his dog and put him onto his bike, he didn't realize that he was creating an internet sensation. Nor did he realize that he stumbled upon one of his greatest tools for evangelism. Comfort's Living Waters YouTube channel has since exploded to over 75 million views of him evangelizing to strangers on the street. He speaks with us about evangelism in the...

After serving in ministry and life together with his wife and partner Karen for over 50 years, Ron Hutchcraft was devastated in 2016 when she died of a sudden heart attack. Reeling from the loss, he turned to God for strength and comfort but found the hope to move forward despite the circumstances. He now shares those lessons with readers of all ages and walks, no matter the tragedy or loss they m...

Imagine finding a treasure trove of documents that reveal the forgotten history of your family. That's what happened to Daniel Schwab in 2009 when he discovered letters written by his grandfather during the holocaust. Today on Connections, Daniel will share what he discovered when he opened those letters and how he is using them to educate others.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

2020 was a year filled with disruption and change. Data compiled by Faithlife, makers of integrated church technology products, in the Year-End Song and Sermon Report provides insight into the worship songs, sermon topics and Scriptures most prevalent in churches across North America throughout 2020 and during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Today on Connections, Marshall Brown, a data scien...

Katarina MacLeod is the founder & Executive Director of Rising Angels Awareness & Restorative Care; she is also a survivor of 15 years of commercial sexual exploitation.   Today on Connections, Katarina will share her story of survival and how she is using her experience to help other women going through a similar situation.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sisterhood YXE is uniting women of all generations to love God and people. Today on Connections, Charlene Quiring, director of Sisterhood YXE and Kaitlyn Cey, Sisterhood pastor at Elim Church will share how Sisterhood YXE is uniting women and where the idea for this came from. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Linda Gerritsen was in a life-altering plane crash in March of 1982. She lost her good friend, James and had to learn to face the world in a whole new way. Instead of losing her faith in God, her faith grew stronger trial after trial. Today on Connections, Linda shares her story of how God is in control and the importance of faith. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christine Soule’s life was a jumbled pile of broken pieces.  Between her parents’ divorce when she was 5 years old and the day she allowed the power and presence of God into her heart, she watched her sister have an affair with her adoptive father; met 15 siblings she never knew at her biological father’s funeral; turned to drugs and alcohol; got pregnant at 17; had twins less than two years later...

Johanne Arsenault is a Canadian writer, mother and grandmother. She has heard much talk of anxiety, depression and suicide in young people. In her opinion, many children no longer have the tools to navigate life's given situations.  She recently released a children's book called Making Sense of Emotions. She says this book helps children gain a better understanding of how to cope with everyday lif...

A pastor who says he experienced miraculous healing from COVID-19 after a cleaner prayed for him in his hospital room is now having his story made into a Netflix film. Today on Connections Pastor Lee McClelland from The Ark Church in Belfast, Northern Ireland will share his journey with COVID-19 and his story of miraculous healing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Canadians start 2021 getting used to new pandemic restrictions, Christians from India to Yemen are being refused food, medical care and other necessary aid, experiencing increased surveillance, violence and discrimination, because of their faith. This year’s World Watch List (WWL), produced annually by Open Doors International, highlights how the global pandemic has exacerbated the systemic...

Mrs. Joanne Rogers joined Colleen & Mike in 2019 to talk about her late husband, Fred Rogers, aka Mr. Rogers. Joanne passed away on January 14, 2021, at the age of 92. https://chvnradio.com/articles/mrs-rogers-dead-at-92 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.